Chapter 9
CHARM HER
~FEW HOURS EARLIER ~ HOSPITAL
"What?"
"Your olfactory nerve has been damaged, miss. The nerve being damaged ruined your sense of smell and taste" The doctor explained making it clear to Marie.
"But my sense of smell and taste is my everything. You see am a cook and I ...."
"You would have to quit that for a while miss or you will keep making mistakes" he told her smoothly.
"So if I quit it for a while will I be cured?" Marie asked.
"Have seen some few cases like this before and to be honest with you, they never get cured" the doctor told her diminishing her hope.
"So you're saying I can't be cured of this?" She asked.
"Am not saying that, am just saying that it's a fifty per cent chance" he told her softly.
"Thank you. I will think about it" she said as she walked out of the hospital.
While taking the bus to the company her thoughts kept drifting off to what the doctor told her.
Cooking had been the only stable thing in her life, if she had any worries she cooked to help relieve her and she had one day hope that she would become a well-known chef but that wouldn't be happening.
A while later she stood in front of the company contemplating whether to go into the company or not. Knowing that she would only make a fool of herself if she went in, she walked off instead of going into the company.
Thanks to Willow who had shown her around, she spent her day visiting places she had never visited before in New Jersey using Romeo's money for the first time.
She sat at the park until it was quite late and all this while she didn't cry, she was heading to the bus station when she picked up Romeo's call.
She didn't know why but hearing his voice finally got the tears spilling and she sat down at the bus top wailing her eyes out not caring if people were staring at her.
She has lost something worth so much to her and it didn't matter if she was being watched by anyone.
Charles who had been heading home after a long day at work got to the bus stop only to see a woman crying and it wasn't until he got close to her that he realised that it was Marie.
He didn't know why but ever since she started working with them, he hated it and he wanted her gone which is why he often bullies her with his words or actions.
He has always felt uncomfortable around the opposite sex and that was why he wanted her gone even though his words are known to hurt others, he has never seen her crying like the rest had done until today.
He wanted to leave, to ignore her but the sad look on her face made him stay and before he could stop himself, he spoke to her.
"Are you okay Marie?"
Still crying she looked up at him and instead of answering, she turned away from him.
"Am fine" she replied as she wiped her tears off.
"If you are fine you won't be crying," he said and she couldn't give him a reply this time because the bus arrived.
Taking her stuff, she got onto the bus choosing to ignore him this time.
A while later the bus stopped and she got out of it. She began her short journey to Romeo pent house on her legs and with her mind off the things around her, she didn't notice the car driving with speed toward her until she was pulled out of harm's way.
"Are you okay?" She heard Charles ask and she pulled out of his arms to stare at him.
"I am but what are you doing here?" She asked.
"What do you think?" He replied.
"Have you been following me?" She asked and he nodded.
"I got to the bus stop and found a colleague of mine in tears and knowing that girls tend to do crazy things if they've been hurt, I decided to follow and am glad I did" he said.
"I wasn't going to kill myself," she told him.
"Really? Then how would you explain what just happened a while ago? The car was horning but your mind was somewhere else" he said.
"I must admit that I wasn't paying attention but I wasn't going to kill myself," she told him.
"Said by countless girls who end up doing it. I will walk you home to be sure" he said walking ahead while leaving the stunned Marie staring after him.
Just yesterday he hadn't even spoken to her and now this? What is he up to, she thought as she followed him.
"Forget him" Charles said suddenly and she turned to stare at him.
"Forget who?"
"The guy that hurt you. I know girls tend to overthink when they've broken up with their boyfriends but you shouldn't. He isn't worth your tears" Charles replied.
"And what makes you think that my tears are because of a breakup?" She asked.
" Girls tend to cry and it's all due to a man, have seen a lot of girls do it to know that you were crying because of a man who broke your heart" he said.
"Well in my case it isn't because of a man" she said.
"Yes. I hear you" he said softly and that got her staring at him.
She knew he didn't believe her and the way he replied and turned the whole thing around got her smiling.
"Smiling? Am glad to know that I can at least make you smile" he said which wiped the smile off her face.
"I wasn't smiling," she told him.
"You were, am not blind and to be honest you look beautiful when you smile" he complimented.
"Do you know that that is the first nice thing you've said to me?" She asked.
"Was I that bad?" He asked and she nodded.
"I just don't like my space being taken by a woman and to be honest your food is tasteless" he said reminding her of her ordeal again.
"You're right! My food is tasteless and I don't think it will ever be good which is why have decided to quit" she told him and this stopped him in his tracks.
"You're quitting?" He asked and she nodded.
"You must be thrilled right? You've always wanted me gone and now that have finally decided to leave, you should feel great about it" Marie told him.
"Why are you suddenly quitting?" Charles asked.
"Am not fit for the job that's why" she said as a sad expression crossed her face briefly something Charles noticed.
"Thanks for tonight. Am glad to know that you didn't hate me that much, I can continue from here, good night " she said as she waved him off.
Charles was still watching her walk on when he noticed a piece of paper on the floor.
He picked it up and opened it and it wasn't until he read the content in it that he knew it belonged to Marie.
***************
~ ROMEO PENT HOUSE~
Romeo paced around the house waiting up for Marie. He had seen her getting into the bus with Charles and had decided to come home so he could wait for her.
He had wanted to go to her but with Charles's sudden appearance, he decided not to.
He didn't want to reveal to a worker of his company that he was acquainted with them and that's mainly why he didn't go to her but he couldn't help the jealousy he was feeling.
Charles had gotten into the bus with her, what could they be doing? He was still thinking this when the door opened and she walked into the house.
"What took you so long?" He yelled at her and cursed himself silently.
He had been telling himself earlier that he would talk calmly to her on her arrival but he had been so worked up and filled with jealousy that he had snapped at her as soon as she walked in.
"I was with a friend" she replied.
"What friend?" he asked already knowing who it was but hoping she would be open and tell him about it.
"A friend and that's all you have to know" she said walking past him but he took hold of her hand and pulled her into his arms.
"Don't play games with me Marie, I told you that I won't condone any love affair you might have?e?" he said.
"Why? You can do what you want and I can't? Who the hell are you to demand such from me?" She asked and that infuriated him.
"Am your husband!" He told her harshly before kissing her roughly on the lips.
"Let me go! Let me go!" Marie cried as she kept moving her head so he would stop kissing her.
"Stop it, Romeo, I beg you" she begged and it wasn't until he saw the tears falling off her eyes that he knew he had crossed the line, letting his jealous feelings take over.
"Am sorry" he said as he let her go and immediately she ran into her room.
Romeo roughened his hair out of frustration, he had been so overwhelmed by jealousy that he let his emotions take over. He didn't even get to ask her why she was crying earlier.
Now it would be hard to win her over, he thought as he fell on the sofa.
***********
Romeo opened his eyes to see Marie standing in front of him and immediately he sat up.
"Marie about last night I....."
"Have decided to quit working in your company" she told him cutting him off smoothly.
"Why? " He asked.
"You wanted me to quit, you should be happy about it" she replied.
"No I don't want that and besides I..."
"I want a divorce" she said interrupting him.
"What?"
"Let's get a divorce. I will continue to live with you until the real Develene returns to take her place but I can't keep on living with you knowing that we are married" she told him.
"Why are you suddenly asking for a divorce, do you have someone else in mind?" He asked her.
"I don't! I just want a divorce, I don't want to be tied to you in any legal way and besides once the real Develene returns, I will be discarded " she told him.
"You are right, you will be discarded " he said wanting to hurt her as much as she was hurting him with her words.
"Then I will leave you to start with the procedure. I will be working for a few days more then I will submit my resignation letter" she informed him before she left his house.
*************
~ BROOKS GLOBAL LTD~ ROMEO'S OFFICE
"You look down Dude. What's going on?" Blake asked as he stared at Romeo.
Ever since Marie told him of her wanting a divorce earlier that day, he's not been himself.
"Hey. Talk to me" Blake urged Romeo and wanting to get advice from someone, he decided to tell Blake the whole truth.
"So you're saying that the Develene with you isn't the real Develene?" Blake asked and Romeo nodded.
" And to top things all she wants a divorce?" Blake asked again and Romeo nodded.
"But you don't want that right?" Blake asked.
"Just the thought of it infuriates me" Romeo said and Blake stared at him intently before saying his next words.
"Why? Is it because you are in love with Marie?" Blake asked suddenly got Romeo staring at him.
"In love? You know I don't do love" Romeo replied.
"You didn't in the past but now that Marie is in your life you are" Blake told him.
"I don't love her, I might want and desire her but I don't love her" Romeo said trying to convince himself with his words knowing deep down that Blake was right.
"If you don't love her then why are you upset about the divorce, give her the divorce after all she's not the real Develene, gives her the divorce and set her free" Blake told him.
"Never! I won't ever give her the divorce she wants" Romeo said fiercely and Blake smiled.
"See! You love her, you won't be this determined to keep a girl by your side" Blake told him triumphantly.
"You're right! I love Marie but she doesn't want a divorce and as soon as Develene returns, she intends to leave me. What do you think I should do?" Romeo asked.
"Charm her! Make her fall in love with you too, you are a man who succeeds in everything he does, so make her fall in love with you before the real Develene returns" Blake advised.